The Soutpansberg’s golden girl of swimming, Keri-Leigh Shaw, saw her dreams of competing in this year’s Olympic Games in Beijing, China, fade away when Swimming South Africa announced her provisional suspension from swimming with effect from April 1.

Her suspension follows after Swimming South Africa was informed that Keri-Leight had tested positive for the performance enhancement substances Clenbuterol and ephedrine during the FINA (Fédération Internationale de Natation) Swimming World Cup held in Brazil on November 25 last year. Clenbuterol is a decongestant often used by people with asthma and ephedrine is a stimulant. The announcement effectively ended her participation in the national Olympic trials. She was scheduled to leave for participation in an international swimming event in Manchester, England, this week.

The news of Keri-Leigh’s suspension not only came as a huge shock to her, but to the whole Shaw family. During an interview, Keri-Leigh’s mother, Jean Shaw from Louis Trichardt, told the Zoutpansberger that the announcement completely devastated the 18-year-old young swimmer who, since the age of 13, worked very hard to fulfil her Olympic dream, sacrificing much of her childhood in her ambition to accomplish this goal.

Keri-Leigh denies knowingly taking the banned substances and contributes her testing positive to the pain relief medication prescribed to her by an apparent FINA-approved Brazilian doctor who, she says, was made aware of the fact that she was a World Cup swimmer and was even supplied with a list of banned substances. The reason why she had to find a Brazilian doctor was because the South African team did not have a doctor of their own.

"I know my daughter and she would never take any performance enhancement substances. Her fellow team mates will also testify to this. She does not even take vitamin pills!" says Jean, who adds that the substances they are accusing Keri-Leigh of taking is not even available in South Africa.

Jean says Keri-Leigh has received tremendous support from her friends and family, as well as her team mates, who refuse to believe that she knowingly took the banned substances. The same, says Jean, could however not be said about Swimming South Africa.

"Since they phoned to inform Keri-Leigh of her suspension, we’ve not heard of them again. We do not even know how to appeal against her suspension," says Jean.

Jean confirmed on Tuesday that they have already started legal proceedings to overturn Keri-Leigh’s suspension. The Shaw family will be making use of the services of Mr Brian Biebuyck from top South African law firm Routledge Modise. Nonetheless, Keri-Leigh and her family are in for possibly a long and expensive legal battle.

"All I want to do is clear my daughter’s name. She does not deserve to be banned," says Jean.

Keri-Leigh is yet to appear before the FINA Doping Committee. This hearing will take place after the analysis of a B sample taken the same day as the first sample that tested positive for the banned substances. It will then be decided whether or not to enforce a two-year swimming ban on Keri-Leigh. Until then, she will remain provisionally suspended.